If you don't carry a ruler you can use a quarter which is an inch in diameter.
Although flowers may be easy to measure, the size often varies. Botanical descriptions often do not
include the flower size so some of our size information may be wrong.

When a plant has clusters of small flowers you should measure the size of
a flower even though it may be very small. Many plants have flowers that are not obvious and in
that case we put them in the "Very Small" category.

Leaf Attachment

Alternate

Opposite

Basal

Whorled

Habitat

Habitat

Description

Alpine

Growing above timberline

Aquatic

Growing in or floating in water

Brush

Scab, chaparral, thicket, clearcut, scrub and similar terms

Cliff

On a cliff, rock wall or similar surface

Desert

Described as a desert, wash, arid or very dry area

Disturbed

Along a road, railroad, burned area, vacant lot and similar places

Epiphyte

Growing on a plant or on decaying plant material

Forest

In a grove, stand or woods or otherwise associated with trees

Grassland

A pasture, prairie, rangeland or steppe

Meadow

An area described as a meadow

Riparian

Near a stream, river, lake, seep or other wet area

Rocky

An outcrop, scree, talus area or other rocky area

Salt Marsh

An alkali or tidal area

Sand

An area described as sandy or a sand dune

Wetland

Marsh, swamp, bog, fen or wetland

Ignore

No habitat specified

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